Everyday life in a rickety old French farmhouse with two very lively Polish Lowland Sheepdogs.
A record of those little things too unimportant for a diary but too important to be forgotten.

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Happiness is a wine of the rarest vintage, and seems insipid to a vulgar taste.

A thick hoar frost on the grass and trees. The PON's love it. Sophie is so happy she throws her head back and lets out a shriek of delight as we turn out of the gate.

The angelic duo head off down the hill towards the stream. When they get there they find a thick layer of ice coating the small waterfall. Inadvertently they discover they can ice skate. Or, to be more precise they discover that ice is extremely slippery . Four legs moving in different directions. Sophie quickly seeks the safety of the bank. Bob tarries a little longer. He doesn't get the hang of it. The old horse gets given a carrot.

As we pass the chateau two sleek red sports cars turn out of the drive. The supermarket billionaires have bought their sons expensive Italian Christmas presents. Angus is not amused. Buying college boys fast, costly cars is just plain wrong. How will they ever understand the value of money ? What sort of friends will they make ? What will happen to their grades ? How wise is it to give testosterone primed boys something that can accelerate to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds ? I guess once a Calvinist always a Calvinist. The teenage sons almost certainly have a different view.

A leisurely walk home through the village and back into the garden. After breakfast Sophie gets groomed. She doesn't look like this for long.

Lovely, lovely pictures.I am also in agreement that teenagers (especially lads) and fast cars are a dangerous combination. And on those roads...frightening. I adore Merlin's sense of play. Undiminished after almost 9 years and long may it continue.x

Brownie loves to play and I think we both know each others play signals.Let's hope the fast cars stay far away from the roads around the ROF....I remember one little bow wow losing his life in the village from a vehicle.

Beautiful pictures - frost is something we don't get here in our part of sunny Spain, so your photos are especially welcome. Agree that fast cars and young are lads are a very dangerous combination, surely their parents have more sense. I too remember one family pet (Oliver?) losing his life to a speeding vehicle. Lovely to see Sophie looking so svelte, but where's the gorgeous Bob? Maybe an extra carrot and nose rub for the old horse?

Add me to the list of those who agree with you about the cars. Unfortunately, at least where I live, there are many young men and women their age that don't want to work hard for anything and feel "entitled" to have those cars and all that go with it. Thankfully they are the exception and not so much the rule.

Hopefully the cars will exit to the family's full time residence. Can you imagine the lack of driving experience, typical teens aged arrogance combined with twisting village roads? No one willbe safe! The boys have every right to take themselves to an early grave but do not have the right to take anyone else with them, dogs, cats, horses included. These disgustingly extravagant and inappropriate ( and unsafe) gifts seem often to be given at a time when the family is in crisis- divorce, guilt from flagrant parental infidelity or neglect. Unfortunately,teenagers are usually for sale.

About Me

2004, we sell the rain drenched farm in Scotland and move to the warmth of southern Europe. Two very lively Polish Lowland Sheepdog brothers - Wilf and Digby - accompany us. Fluffy,patient and comical . Forever attracting laughter and new friends . After a year in Provence we moved to Italy to restore an ancient Roman watchtower . Somethings are meant not to be. Following a rather unpleasantly violent 'housejacking' ( the third in our little village ) we left Italy in late 2009 for new adventures in the rolling countryside of south west France . We are now getting to grips with a large rickety old farmhouse. Life after the violence of Italy has a gentler tempo. Digby passed on from piroplasmosis in May 2010. HIs brother, despite being diagnosed with cancer and having become blind ,soldiered on for another two years. We now embark on the next part of our journey with two new PON's - Bob and Sophie. This blog records all those little things about living with dogs that are too unimportant to make it into a diary but which make life, life.